


Everything Changed

by VaioTheGayLizard



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula isn't evil, Bisexual Sokka, CW for canon-typical (past) child abuse, CW for needles/descriptions of needle use (for HRT), CW for self hatred, CW for transphobia, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Grief/Mourning, High School AU, Katara Aang and Toph are all 14, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, Multi, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai is in jail, Slow Burn, Sokka and Katara just moved to Ba Sing Se, Some characters are slightly aged up, Trans Male Character, Trans Zuko, We Die Like Men, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko is autistic, background suki/ty lee, lgbtq+, minor character death (past), rated for language, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24751972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaioTheGayLizard/pseuds/VaioTheGayLizard
Summary: (Whoops my ATLA hyperfixation ended, so this is discontinued until further notice... sorry!)Zuko's never been great at making friends. A childhood of loss and subsequent abuse has left him scarred, and he and his sister are in the care of their Uncle while they finish their time at Ba Sing Se High School. Students from all over the world and from all the nations attend Ba Sing Se, but two new students are the first members of the Southern Water Tribe to ever attend. All Zuko wants to do it keep his head down and get through his Senior year without anyone questioning his scar, his gender, or his life.After Kya passes away, Hakoda must uproot his family and move to Ba Sing Se to give his children a better chance at success. Sokka is determined to keep his family happy, not letting the stress and sadness get to his sister or father, while still trying to enjoy his Senior year and make some friends. And what better way to make friends than by sitting with the loner guy off in the corner of the lunch room? The two of them have more in common than they think, after all. However, Sokka doesn't like to show how vulnerable he can be.But then, everything changed...
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 38
Kudos: 265





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written a multi-chapter slow burn fanfiction before, but I've watched this series twice in the last month and I'm going to watch it again soon. Zukka Supremacy is alive and well, and so is my hyperfixation.
> 
> Comments and kudos give me motivation uwu

Zuko tapped the steering wheel of his car along with the tempo of his music as he pulled into the parking lot of Ba Sing Se High School. It was a dreary Wednesday, and Azula had her feet up on the dashboard beside him, filing her fingernails nails carefully. 

“Can you please put your feet down?” He asked sternly, glaring over at her, but there was no real malice in it.

“Why do you care? It’s not like I’m making it any dirtier.” She said with a shrug, tucking her nail file into her backpack. Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes at her. He knew it was her job to be the annoying little sister, but she really was annoying sometimes.

He pulled his beat up Honda into his usual spot and Azula took her feet down, getting out of the car quickly and saying goodbye to Zuko as she rushed off to meet up with her friends before class. Zuko sighed again, getting his backpack from the back seat and heading towards the front entrance of the school. He didn’t hate High School by any means. He liked learning new things, and it wasn’t an awful experience overall, and Zuko didn’t mind being left alone by the other students.

He looked at his phone and saw a text from his Uncle, wishing him luck on his test today. Zuko smiled and tapped out a reply quickly, saying thank you to Iroh for helping him study the night before. He and his sister lived with their Uncle above the tea shop he owned in the city. It was small and cozy, and the shop did well enough that they didn’t struggle to make ends meet. He and Azula helped wait tables on the weekends, as well.

Zuko felt very lucky to be in the situation he was in, considering what he’d gone through in the past. His Uncle was a good man who accepted Azula and Zuko with open arms when their father was arrested. He accepted them for who they were, as well. Iroh had been the one to pay for Zuko’s legal name change, the one to buy him a new wardrobe, to help him find the right sized binder, and he never questioned either of them when they discovered their sexualities. He had always been there to advocate for his niece and nephew, to defend them, and to help Zuko heal after what his father did to him.

One positive about having a huge burn scar on his face: people tended to avoid eye contact with Zuko. He didn’t like eye contact anyways.

As he passed by the drop-off area, Zuko saw a small family standing next to their car. He didn’t recognize the kids. There was a boy about his age with a small ponytail, and a younger girl, presumably his sister. They were talking to an adult man with the same brown skin tone and blue eyes as them.

“You both have your schedules and maps?” The man asked, looking between the kids and they both nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you at home tonight. And remember, I’m just a phone call away if you need anything. Anything at all, I’ll be here.” He said and the boy smiled.

“We’ll be okay, dad, I promise.” He said and looked down at the girl. “I think we can handle it, right little sis?” He said enthusiastically and she gave a shy nod. Their father smiled and he hugged them both before getting back into the car and driving off. With their darker complexion and blue clothing, they must have been from the Water Tribes.

Zuko headed inside and went straight towards the gym. He had Firebending Practice first thing in the morning. It was a great way to start the day, working on his bending forms. He went to the locker room, keeping his head down as he hurried to one of the bathroom stalls to change. He was lucky he was allowed to use the boy’s locker room at all, but he wasn’t going to subject himself to the staring or ridicule that he knew he would receive if he changed out in the open. He pulled off his t-shirt and adjusted his binder, making sure he would be able to move and breathe properly during practice. He pulled on his workout clothes and headed out to the gym to stretch before class started. Azula emerged from the girl’s locker room soon after and came to sit by Zuko to stretch. She got along great with Mai and Ty Lee, but other than them, she didn’t really interact with anyone else besides Zuko.

“I heard there are some transfer students from the Southern Water Tribe today.” She said as she touched her toes with ease. “They’re the first Southerners to ever enroll at Ba Sing Se.”

“Huh.” Zuko replied. That must have been who he had seen getting dropped off earlier, and he sort of felt bad for them. It would be so lonely to be the only people from your homeland to ever come to this school. There were plenty of students from the Northern Water Tribe at Ba Sing Se, but the South had a much smaller population. He wondered briefly why they came here.

The rest of the Firebending students filed in over the next several minutes and the class got started. They didn’t do any actual Firebending inside the gym, but they did some forms and breathing practice for the first half of class before heading outside to the bending field. It was a large stone circle arena with bleachers around the outside. There were grates scattered around the field so Waterbenders could access the pool that sat underneath. The school held competitive bending matches here, and the Ba Sing Se Badger-Frogs were undefeated this season. Zuko didn’t really keep up with sports, though. Not really his thing.

The second half of class had students enter the field in groups of three and practice some of the forms while actually using fire. The school’s Waterbending instructor was there to put out any fires if someone managed to set something ablaze, but her services were rarely needed this late in the year. Even the Freshmen were showing precision and control.

Zuko’s group took the field and the instructor stood off to the side, giving them permission to begin. Zuko centered himself and started making his way through the different stances, fire blasting forward from his fists when he punched. He kept his breathing steady, being careful not to let his flames get too large. They were concentrated and deliberate. The set finished with a flip, the three students sending huge arcs of flame into the air. The instructor gave each of them a few notes and they headed back to their seats.

With about ten minutes left in class, they headed back to the gym to get changed back into their regular clothes. Zuko returned to the bathroom stall to change, pulling up his binder to take some deep breaths and apply more deodorant before he got dressed again.

As he left the locker room, Zuko saw the new girl from earlier. She had a map clutched in her hand and double-checked it before heading into the girl’s locker room. Waterbending class took place right after Firebendig, so she must be a Waterbender from the Southern Tribe. Zuko wondered if her older brother was a bender, too, but he didn’t see the other boy anywhere, so he had to assume that he was a non-bender. He had looked to be around the same age as Zuko, so maybe he was a Senior, too. He wondered, for a moment. if they would have any classes together.

‘Why do you care?’ The voice inside his head inquired and he sighed. He really didn’t care. Sure, the new guy was kinda cute, but it’s not like Zuko was going to try and be friends with him. He was sure that the Southerner would find some friends from the Northern Tribe, join one of the non-bender sports teams, and never give Zuko the time of day.

But, the voice in his head had been wrong before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: The first four paragraphs or so talk about a canonical character death and there are minor descriptions of grief. If this is something that bothers you, please feel free to skip the first four paragraphs.
> 
> This chapter is a bit longer! And we get to meet several more characters! And I introduce a background relationship! Hoorah! Please, continue to comment, because it gives me the motivation to write more. I'm always open to ideas, too!

The last six months had been the hardest of Sokka’s short life. He thought his mother being sick was hard, but he could never have prepared himself for what it would feel like to actually lose her. He didn’t even remember what exactly his father had said when he told them, he just remembered holding Katara while she cried, too shocked to cry himself.

Since then, everything was different. Their father had to work more to make ends meet, and Sokka took on more work around the house to help keep things in order. He wasn’t going to let his kid sister grow up too fast, so he stepped up into the role of housekeeper and cook. For a little while, they were doing okay. They had the support of their tribe, people brought food and asked if there was anything they could do to help.

After a few months, the help from friends and neighbors became less frequent. Everybody else moved on with their lives, while there were still two children who had lost their mother and a man who had lost his wife. It became harder to keep up.

Eventually, Hakoda could no longer provide for his family in the Southern Water Tribe alone. Work was slow, and their house was too big for just three people. He decided that their best chance of making things work was to move to Ba Sing Se. He had an opportunity to work there for good pay, and his children could attend the best school in the Earth Kingdom. The decision to move may have also been a little bit selfish… he just couldn’t walk into that house every day, knowing that Kya wouldn’t be there to greet him.

So, they packed up their lives and got on a boat. Hakoda promised his kids that things would be better in Ba Sing Se, that they could make a new life for themselves, that they would get to experience all new things. Sokka could tell that Katara didn’t buy it. Neither of them wanted to leave their home in the South, but they trusted their father.

They moved into a small apartment in the city and worked on getting settled in. Hakoda bought a used car that would get him to and from work, and the kids were enrolled in Ba Sing Se High School. Sokka and Katara would have to take the train to school most days, but Hakoda dropped them off on their first morning.

“So, I saw that you have a Waterbending class on your schedule, Katara. That’s exciting.” Hakoda said as he drove towards the school. Katara sat in the back seat, staring out the window at the passing cars and buildings.

“Yeah, I guess.” She said softly, pressing her lips together. Sokka looked out the window as well. He was sure that being at a new school was going to be fine, and he was looking forward to actually meeting people his own age, but part of him still longed to be back home.

They pulled into the drop off section of the school parking lot and Hakoda pulled up to the curb, getting out of the car so he could say goodbye to his kids.

“You both have your schedules and maps?” He asked, looking between the two of them as they got their backpacks on. They both nodded and Sokka’s eyes wandered over as a girl ran past him and into the school, soon followed by a boy about his age with messy black hair and a scar over nearly half of his face. He looked back at his father quickly. He didn’t want it to seem like he was staring. “Alright, I’ll see you at home tonight. And remember, I’m just a phone call away if you need anything. Anything at all, I’ll be here.” He said and Sokka smiled up at him.

“We’ll be okay, dad, I promise.” He said and looked down at Katara. She was staring at her shoes, clutching the strap of her messenger bag in both hands. “I think we can handle it, right little sis?” He said in his best gung-ho voice, and she just nodded. Hakoda gave them a soft smile and reached out to hug them both close, reminding them that he loved them both. Sokka and Katara waved as he got back in the car and drove off, and they turned to head inside the front doors of their new school.

“Alright, do you need help finding your first class?” Sokka asked, grabbing his copy of the map of the school he had printed off last night. Katara looked at hers as well. She had marked all her classes and drawn the routes to get to all of them.

“Uhh… I think I’ll be okay. It’s not far.” She said and sighed a little. He slung an arm over her shoulders and gave her a tight side-hug as they walked.

“Hey, chin up, okay? I know this isn’t ideal, and I know it feels scary, but we may as well make the most of it, yeah?” He said with a grin and she couldn’t help but crack a small smile.

“Yeah, you’re right… ugh, I hate saying that.” She rolled her eyes and Sokka laughed.

“But I sure do love hearing it.” He teased and gave her a squeeze before letting her go. “I’m headed off this way, but just text me if you need anything. See you later, sis!” He said and waved to her as they headed off in opposite directions. 

He checked his map and schedule again, taking a minute to make sure he was in the right classroom. There was a middle aged woman sitting behind the desk, a pair of small glasses perched on the end of her nose as she peered down at some papers. Sokka cleared his throat as he approached and she looked up.

“Hi, um… I’m Sokka, it’s my first day here.” He explained and she smiled.

“Oh, hello Sokka! Yes, I received a notice that you would be arriving today. I’m Miss Sansuki.” She said and he gave a small bow. She showed him to an available seat and gave him the textbook for her class. Classic Literature. Not exactly the most thrilling thing to learn first thing in the morning, but the teacher seemed nice.

His first couple of hours were uneventful. He received a text from Katara after second period gushing about her Waterbending class and how she had already learned so much, and how everyone was so supportive of her learning real forms for the first time. He smiled at his phone, glad that she was warming up to the new school. The fact that she would have the chance to learn Waterbending from a real master was one of the only things that had convinced her that moving to Ba Sing Se wouldn’t be all bad.

Sokka had a class in the gym right before lunch. Benders had the opportunity to practice their skills at school, but non-benders were also given several options for Physical Education. Sokka had elected to take an “Exploratory Fighting Styles” class that seemed interesting. The teacher issued him a locker and he got changed before heading out to the gym to warm up with the other students.

“Alright,” the instructor said, moving to the front of the class. He pushed a rolling rack in front of him that was full of… fans? “We’ll be beginning our unit on fan work today. Avatar Kyoshi developed this style almost four hundred years ago, and it’s been practiced by women throughout the Earth Kingdom ever since, but mostly on Kyoshi Island, where she lived. It requires a great deal of strength, dexterity, and cunning, so it’s a great style for anyone to learn.” He explained and looked around the room. “I know that some of you ladies have been practicing this style for many years now. Suki, would you and Ty Lee like to demonstrate?” He said and two girls got up to move to the front of the room. One of them wore a violently pink outfit and her long hair was braided down her back. The other wore dark greens and her hair was short. They both had their own fans with them and they took a ready stance.

Sokka was completely entranced. The two of them moved together so smoothly, the whole thing looked choreographed. They evaded each other’s attacks and he admired just how beautiful fighting could look. Eventually, the short haired girl managed to knock the other’s fans out of her grip and the fight was over. The class clapped and the two demonstrators smiled at each other.

“Thank you for that, girls, and congratulations Suki.” The teacher said and looked over the class again. “Alright everybody, grab a pair of fans and partner up. If you have experience in this style, pair with somebody who doesn’t and show them the basics.” He said and everyone started moving. Sokka waited in line to grab a pair of fans from the rack and glanced around. He grinned when he saw that the girl that had won the fight, Suki, didn’t seem to have a partner yet. He jogged over to her, fans gripped in his hands.

“Hi! Uh, nice fighting up there.” He said and she looked over at him.

“Oh, thank you. I grew up on Kiyoshi Island, so I’ve been studying this style my whole life.” She said and he stared at her in amazement for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Uh, I’m Sokka, by the way. I’m new here, my family just moved from the Southern Water Tribe.” He said and transferred both fans to one hand so he could extend an empty hand to her.

“I’m Suki. It’s good to meet you.” She said and did the same to shake his hand.

“So, uh… wanna partner up? That is, if you don’t already have a partner, uh.. For the… practicing, you know?” He said and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He had to admit, she was pretty cute. Suki chuckled a little.

“Yeah, we can partner up.” She said and leaned in a little closer. “But just so you know, I don’t date boys.” She said with a smirk and Sokka blushed.

“Oh! Alright, I mean.. Yeah, that’s cool. I wasn’t even thinking of that, but uh.. Good to know.” He said and she laughed.

“Suuure you weren’t. Whatever, let’s go get started.” She said, her tone displaying no signs of being actually annoyed. Sokka followed her out to an empty space in the gym so she could show him some basic forms.

Using the fans was a lot harder than Sokka thought and he was exhausted by the end of the class. He and Suki chatted while he drilled the moves over and over, and they got along quite well. He learned that she had lived in Ba Sing Se for about five years now, and that her and Ty Lee, the other girl from the demonstration fight, were actually dating. Sokka, for some reason, felt the need to reveal tol her that he was bisexual, even though he had never really told anyone that before. But hey, new city, new school, maybe he would finally be okay with being open about who he was here. It seemed to be a pretty progressive and accepting place. The two of them exchanged phone numbers after class and Sokka added a rainbow emoji next to her name before he headed to the lunch room, his stomach grumbling.

Suki didn’t have the same lunch period as him, and neither did Katara, so he was left to find a place to sit on his own for today. The tables filled up fast and he could tell that there were tight knit groups of people that he couldn’t exactly insert himself into. There was a small table off to the back of the room with only one person sitting at it, and the other chairs didn’t have any backpacks or signs of being saved for other people, so he headed over with his tray. As he approached, Sokka realized that the person sitting at the table was the boy he saw outside this morning, the one with the scar. He was scrolling through his phone and eating rice from a bento box.

“Hi, uh… is this seat taken?” He asked as he approached and the boy looked up at him, his expression slightly surprised. He swallowed his bite of food before speaking.

“Uh, no, it’s not. Go for it.” He said and looked even more surprised when Sokka sat down with him. Sokka put his backpack down on the floor at his feet and cleared his throat again.

“I’m Sokka, I just moved here from the Southern Water Tribe.” He said and the boy blinked at him a couple times.

“Nice to meet you…” He said and shifted in his seat a little. “I’m Zuko. Welcome to Ba Sing Se, I guess.” He said and quickly went back to his food. Sokka frowned a little, but got started on his own meal. ‘Guess he’s a bit shy,’ He thought to himself and started eating his own lunch. After a couple minutes of silence, he looked over at Zuko and saw that he had some pins on his backpack.

“Oh, you listen to Gorilla-Bearz? I love that band.” He said with a smile and Zuko looked up again.

“Yeah, they’re one of my favorites.” He said and put his phone down. Sokka grinned at him, happy to see that he was somewhat engaging in a conversation. Was he possibly making two new friends in one day?

“Me, too!” He said and they started into a conversation about the bands that they liked and their favorite songs. They had a really similar taste in music overall, which meant a wide variety of artists and genres. Zuko seemed to be warming up to the conversation slowly, and Sokka really enjoyed talking to him. The conversation moved on soon, and they figured out that they had a couple of classes together in the afternoon, and Sokka learned that Zuko was a Firebender. Sokka had never actually met any benders other than his sister before, but he was sure there were lots of them here.

“So, how do you like Ba Sing Se so far?” Zuko asked and Sokka took a moment to think.

“It’s good so far. Everyone’s been nice, and the change of scenery is good. Seeing trees everywhere is strange. Really… seeing anything anywhere is strange. The South Pole is pretty empty. The closest thing we have to landmarks are glaciers, and they’re just giant cliffs of ice.” He said and Zuko chuckled. Sokka couldn’t help but admire his smile.

“Yeah, I can imagine it’s a bit of culture shock. Well, I hope you like it here. And, ya know, if you need help finding your way around or anything, just uh… let me know.” He said and shifted in his seat a little. “We could exchange phone numbers?” He said and Sokka nodded enthusiastically, getting his phone and getting the ‘new contact’ page ready. They swapped phones to put their numbers in each other’s contacts. Sokka wrote his name and put the water drop emoji and a blue heart next to it. He paused for a moment and deleted the blue heart, but then put it back. Eh, why not? He got his phone back from Zuko and added a flame emoji next to his name before saving.

The bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch period, and both of them stood up to collect their things. Sokka smiled at Zuko widely, glad to have made another friend so soon after making his first one. Their first class after lunch was one that they had together, so Zuko walked with Sokka down the hall while they talked together. Sokka continued to admire Zuko’s smile, and how soft his hair looked, and he wondered why on Earth anybody could let such an amazing person sit on their own. Sure, he was a little awkward sometimes, but Sokka didn’t mind. It only took him a few minutes to realize it, but Zuko was one of the first boys his age he had ever met, and he was already developing a crush.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This chapter has a somewhat detailed description of needle use for HRT and mentions of blood. If you don't want to read this part, the section begins with "Today was Tuesday," and it is safe to begin reading again at "Zuko sat back down"
> 
> TW: This chapter also has mentions of internalized transphobia in the second paragraph after the break, so feel free to skip that as well.
> 
> Thank you all very much for your amazing comments and support. It's been really motivating and I appreciate each and every one of you!

Zuko didn’t have the same lunch period as his sister or any of her friends, so he typically ate alone. He didn’t mind it, really, it gave him a chance to listen to music and scroll through his phone while he ate. He liked school, but it could start to wear on his senses eventually. He got overstimulated and just having some time to himself was a nice way to chill out before going on to the second half of his day. Today had been pretty low-key so far, so he just put an earbud in one ear and let the constant chatter of the lunchroom float around him. He thought that he would be left alone, like always, and he never would have imagined that someone would come sit next to him.

He vaguely saw a boy dressed in blue approaching his table, and Zuko glanced up a little when he spoke to ask if the few other chairs at his table were taken. Zuko recognized him as the guy he’d seen out front this morning… the new kid, right? From the Southern Water Tribe? Zuko assumed that he was asking for a chair so that he could take it to another table and sit with all the new friends that he had inevitably made already, so imagine his surprise when the brown skinned boy sat down at the table with his lunch tray and grinned at him.

The boy introduced himself as Sokka, and Zuko nervously introduced himself back. He tried to be polite, like his Uncle taught him, being welcoming and “warm”, but it didn’t come naturally to Zuko. He already felt like he fucked it up, so he quickly went back to eating the lunch that his Uncle had packed for him.

Iroh woke up early anyways to open the tea shop, so he made lunches for his niece and nephew. No matter how many times Zuko insisted that he would just get lunch at school or that he just wanted a sandwich, Iroh would cook rice and make vegetable tempura, and add some leftovers of whatever they’d eaten the night before for dinner. Secretly, Zuko really appreciated it. He eyed the food on Sokka’s tray and was glad that he was eating leftover baked chicken instead of mystery meat.

Zuko could tell that Sokka’s eyes were wandering, and he was surprised all over again when he kept talking to him, mentioning one of the bands that Zuko had a button for on his backpack. This was the longest conversation Zuko had held with a stranger for a long time. He considered just giving a one-word answer and putting in his other earbud, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least try to make a new friend. Sokka seemed nice, and he seemed to want to put effort into talking to him, so he may as well reciprocate.

Conversation flowed… surprisingly naturally. They talked about music and school and bending. They had a couple of classes together later, and Zuko mentioned that he was a Firebender.

“Oh, that’s cool! I’ve never met a Firebender in person before.” Sokka noted. “Actually, my sister, Katara, is the only bender I’d ever met before moving here. But they’re all over in Ba Sing Se! I’ve even seen some Airbenders around!” He said and Zuko gave him a little half-smile.

“Yeah, people from all over come here. There are a few Airbenders at this school, actually. They’re pretty easy to spot, cuz they shave their heads and such. There’s a small Air Temple in Ba SIng Se, actually, and most of the Air Nomads in the city live there.” He explained and Sokka seemed to be listening with rapt attention. Zuko liked this city. He liked the unity of the four nations that happened here, and he was happy to talk about the culture of the place.

It was towards the end of the lunch period, and they had their next class together, but Zuko suggested they the two of them exchange phone numbers, just in case. He was actually making a new friend today… and not a friend that his sister had introduced him to. They traded phones to put their own information in and Zuko blushed when he got his phone back and saw the emojis next to Sokka’s name. He didn’t delete the heart, figuring that it was kind of… cute. He saved the contact and shoved his phone in the pocket of his jeans as he stood.

“Wanna walk to class together?” He asked softly, playing with one of the loose threads in the hole on the leg of his pants. His Uncle liked to tease him that he should repair his trousers if they were damaged, and Zuko just rolled his eyes and explained that they were supposed to look like that every time he suggested a patch job.

“Sure, I wouldn’t mind not getting lost for once.” Sokka said and they headed out of the lunch room side by side. Zuko swore he could feel people staring, wondering what the hell the cute new guy was doing with the scarred, awkward, queer guy. It took him a few moments to realize that he had just called Sokka ‘cute’ in his own head, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He wasn’t going to ruin a possible friendship by developing some silly crush.

~ ~ ~

Zuko and Sokka sat together at lunch every day, chatting and making each other listen to songs that they liked, working on homework for their classes, laughing at stupid memes they found… it was a real friendship, the first one either of them had had with a guy their age.

But Zuko couldn’t help but feel like he was faking it. Sokka mentioned a few times that there were no boys his age in his village, and how it was nice to hang out with another guy, and Zuko would think “but I’m not a real guy’ and kick himself internally for thinking that way. He wasn’t even sure if Sokka had clocked him as trans, and even if he did, would he really be the kind of person to think of trans men as ‘not real men’? Zuko had struggled for a long time with his internalized transphobia, planted there by his father, insisting that Zuko would never really be his son… It was an internal battle that he fought every day. But Sokka… Sokka was a good person. He was friends with Suki, right? And she was Ty Lee’s girlfriend, so he probably wasn’t homophobic, at least. Still, Zuko didn’t say anything, and he did his best to stay discrete, even if that meant not adjusting his binder when it got uncomfortable during lunch, and not making jokes about his fake dick.

It was a few weeks after they’d met now, and Zuko said goodbye to Sokka after their last class of the day. Sokka went off to find his sister so they could take the train home and Zuko went to find his own sister. She was sitting outside in the grass with her friends and he came over to flop down with them. Ty Lee was walking around on her hands, talking casually to Suki, who lounged in the grass and watched her in awe, like she hadn’t seen the trick a million times before. Azula was inspecting her nail polish for chips, and Mai was tucked away under a black lace parasol to stay out of the sun.

“Zuzu, the girls are coming over, can you drive us?” Azula asked and Zuko rolled his eyes.

“I’m not taking you anywhere if you call me that.” He said and she scoffed.

“Fiine, Zukoooo, will you drive us home?” She begged and he rolled his eyes again. She was such a pain.

“Fine, but those two,” he motioned to Suki and Ty Lee. The gymnast was arched over backwards in front of her girlfriend now, their noses brushing together. “had better not start making out in the back seat again.” He said and Azula laughed.

“We’ll make Mai sit in the middle.” She suggested and Mai scowled at her.

“You most certainly will not! I would rather walk!” She said and Ty Lee laid in the grass next to Suki.

“We promise we won’t make out in your car again, Zuko.” She promised with a grin and he laughed.

“Suuure you won’t.” He teased and the couple laughed along with him. “Yeah, I’ll bring you home. Does Uncle know they’re coming? He’ll want to prepare extra tea.” He said and got out his phone to text him, because even without listening for the answer, he knew that Azula didn’t. Iroh was always happy to have visitors, and their friends were never disallowed from coming over, but he always had tea ready for Zuko and Azula when they got home, and he liked to make sure he had enough ready for anyone that walked through the door.

They all stood up out of the grass and headed out to the parking lot to get into Zuko’s car. He made sure everyone had their seatbelts on before starting to drive. They headed inside the tea shop once they arrived and Iroh greeted them warmly. Some of the regular customers said hi as well. It was well known that Iroh liked to brag about his family to anyone who would listen, so many of the people in the tea shop were like family friends at this point.

“It is good to see all of you girls!” He said, addressing Azula’s friends. He acted like he hadn’t seen them in ages, when in fact, they were over here almost every other day. They accepted his offer to tea, as always, and headed upstairs to the apartment above the shop. The girls disappeared into Azula’s room and Zuko went to his own room to turn on some music.

Today was Tuesday, and time for Zuko’s weekly injection. It was only his fourth week on testosterone, but he was already starting to see some changes. His voice was a bit sore, though he didn’t think it was changing yet. He had a few longer hairs on his chin, and he’d definitely seen an uptick in the oiliness of his skin. He was optimistic, and looking forward to continued changes. Zuko peeled off his jeans and sat down on the edge of his bed with his box of injection supplies.

He knew that this would become a somewhat mindless task eventually, but for now, he still had to think out every step carefully. He used an alcohol swab to clean an area of his thigh, the opposite leg he’d injected into last week, and opened a clean syringe and drawing needle. He got out the tiny vial of liquid and carefully drew up the correct dosage, making sure not to get any air bubbles. He discarded the drawing needle into his sharps container and switched to the injecting needle. He carefully pinched up some of the skin in the area he’d disinfected and took a deep breath and he pricked himself with the tiny needle. Carefully, he drew the plunger back a little bit to make sure he hadn’t hit a blood vessel, and then slowly pushed it down again. The oil was thick and the needle was skinny, so he had to go very slowly. It was a bit uncomfortable, but totally worth it.

Once he was done injecting, he removed the needle, dropped it in his sharps container, and put a band-aid over the tiny spot of blood on his leg. He sat there for a minute to make sure he felt okay before standing to go and get some sweatpants on.

Zuko sat back down on his bed and grabbed his backpack, sipping at his tea while he got ready to start on his homework. Just before he could start copying his first math problem, his phone buzzed and he looked over, seeing a text from Sokka. He couldn’t help but smile as he picked his phone up, looking at the message.

_Hey! Suki said she’s over at your house! How come I’m not invited :’(((( -S_

He chuckled and started to tap out a reply.

_She’s hanging out with my sister, not me. And I didn’t know you wanted to come over. -Z_

_Well, I’m busy today, but maybe some other time? You keep talking about your vinyl collection, and I want to come listen! -S_

Zuko looked over at the record player in the corner and paused for a moment. He turned off the music on his phone and went over to the player, picking a random record from the stack and placing it on the turntable carefully. He got the arm in place and turned it on, adjusting the volume before he headed back to sit on his bed.

_You’re welcome to come over whenever. I hope you like tea, though, because my Uncle will insist that you have some. -Z_

_Tea is alright, but I bet your uncle makes really good tea. -S_

_He does. The best in Ba Sing Se. He’d really like to meet you, he used to know some people from the Southern Water Tribe. Also I talk about you a lot. -Z_

_Awweee, you do?? Zuko, I feel so special!! -S_

_Well, you’re kind of my only friend, so I tend to… gush… -Z_

_Well, I’m honored to have earned that title. I’ll have to come over soon, for sure. And you can come visit our place too, if you want! Katara has her new friends over all the time. -S_

_Yeah… I’d like that. We can arrange something soon. -Z_

_Now please, I have to do homework. And you should, too. We have that test tomorrow. -Z_

_Uuuuugghhh, why’d you have to remind me??? Fiiine, but I won’t be happy about it. And I’m texting you if I get bored. -S_

_Are you serious? You forgot? Ugh. Well, no guarantees I’ll reply, but you do that. -Z_

Zuko put his phone aside again, making sure it was on silent before getting back on task. He wasn’t terrible at math, but it took all of his focus to get it done in a reasonable amount of time. The complex equations took him about an hour to complete and he laid back on his bed with a sigh, deciding that he deserved a small break before moving on to the next task. He pulled out his phone and saw that he had a string of texts from Sokka complaining about the homework and saying how he felt unprepared for the next day’s test. He smiled as he read through them, just imagining the other boy flailing around dramatically while avoiding doing any actual work. He was only vaguely aware of several sets of footsteps passing by his bedroom door to head downstairs.

“What’s got you so smiley?” Azula said from the doorway, her arms crossed as she leaned against the frame. Zuko looked up at her and shrugged.

“Nothing… just talking to Sokka.” He said and scratched an itch on his arm. Azula’s smirk made him feel uneasy.

“Zuzu, you haven’t smiled like that just texting anyone before.” She said and shifted her weight to her other leg. “You have a crush on him, don’t you?”

“I- wha- n-no! I do not!” He sputtered defensively and a furious blush rose to his cheeks. Azula threw her head back and laughed.

“Oh, you absolutely do have a crush on him! Ohh, Zuzu, that’s so sweet!” She cooed and he crossed his arms, avoiding eye contact with her.

“Shut up. I do not have a crush. Besides, even if I did, there’s no way he would feel the same about me. I’m pretty sure he’s straight, so just drop it.” He huffed and Azula smirked again.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that, big brother. Suki shared some tasty gossip with us. Don’t lose hope.” She said in a teasing, sing-song voice and started to walk away. “By the way, dinner is ready. A growing boy needs to eat.” She said and headed off down the stairs after her friends. Zuko groaned and flopped back against his pillows, staring up at the ceiling. There was no way Sokka would have a crush on him… there was no way that he had a crush on Sokka! They were just friends, and that’s all they ever would be, and Zuko was okay with that.

His stomach growled and he realized that he’d probably been hungry for a while. He rolled out of bed, pulled his hair into a top knot to get it out of his face, and headed downstairs for dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This chapter deals with past character illness/death and descriptions of grief. There are mentions throughout the first half of the chapter, so please be aware.
> 
> I accidentally stayed up until 4 am writing this... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Their first few weeks in Ba Sing Se went as smoothly as they could have expected. Sokka and Katara were enjoying school so far, but were still trying to learn the ins and outs of city life. Sokka often laid awake at night, unable to sleep because of the noises of cars and sirens outside. He was used to the silent tundra, the quiet only pierced by the sound of the wind against the side of their little house. But here? There was a near constant hum of vehicles moving about.

Hakoda was extremely busy with work, taking on as many hours as he could to save up some rainy day money. He came home late nearly every day and was completely exhausted when he arrived. But, his family was fed, clothed, and housed, so the long hours and stress were completely worth it to him. He was also extremely appreciative of all of Sokka’s help. His son had really taken on a lot of responsibility, cooking dinner and keeping their apartment clean.

Sokka just wanted what was best for his family, just like his father did. He didn’t want to make his dad work harder than he already was, and he didn’t want his fourteen year old sister to have to grow up too fast. So, when they got home from school everyday, he would take just a couple hours to relax before fixing dinner and washing the dishes. Hakoda often came in the door after the sun had set, and he was always so grateful for the food that Sokka made. He kept insisting that Sokka didn’t have to cook every day, that he should take some time to be a teenager, but Sokka was determined not to let his dad overwork himself even more than he already was. And if that meant he had to stay up late to finish his homework and that he didn’t have time to hang out with his friends, so be it.

Like Sokka, Katara had made friends quickly at their new school. Hakoda made it a point to teach his children about hospitality, and his policy was that the door was always open. Katara brought her friends over often, and they would rush to her room to do homework while Sokka fixed up some sort of snack for them.

Sokka knocked on the door gently before stepping into Katara’s room with a bowl of fresh cherries, blueberries, and strawberries. They were in season now, and Hakoda had splurged a bit on his last shopping trip.

“Here ya go!” He said, passing the bowl to Katara, who had her textbooks spread over the bed. Her friend Aang sat at the other end of the bed, cross-legged with his notebook balanced on a knee. He was an Airbender and typically wore colors and styles that resembled the traditional orange and yellow tunics of his culture. Today, he was in soft looking sweatpants and a baggy orange sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his bald head.

“Thanks, Sokka!” The young monk said and grabbed a few berries from the bowl. 

Toph, Katara’s other good friend, lounged on the floor, her fingertips drifting across the pages of her braille textbook. His first time meeting her, Sokka had wondered how she moved around so easily, avoiding obstacles and interacting with things as if she wasn’t completely blind, but once she explained her Earthbending skills, he was nothing but impressed. He had never heard of bending like that before.

“No problem.” Sokka replied and headed out of the room again to let them study. He hummed to himself as he headed to his own room to get started on his homework before it was time to make dinner. He texted Suki to see if she wanted to sit on a phone call while he worked, but she replied that she was at Azula and Zuko’s place. He assured her that it was fine, they could chat another time. He texted Zuko after, teasingly asking why he wasn’t invited. A blush rose to his cheeks when Zuko said that he was his best friend and that he tended to gush about him to his Uncle. Sokka liked Zuko a lot, he really enjoyed being friends with him, and it made his heart feel all light and warm that Zuko felt the same about him.

He tried to stay focused on his homework, but he kept texting Zuko to vent his frustration with the difficult equations. The other didn’t respond, so Sokka assumed he was trying to focus. He eventually left him alone. They could always chat later, and it was almost time for him to start on dinner so it would be ready by time his dad got home.

Sokka grabbed his headphones so he could listen to music while he cooked without disturbing the kids in the other room. He sang along softly as he got some water boiling and added enough pasta, as well as warming up some sauce. Sometimes, simple meals were the best.

He was just finishing up when the door opened and Hakoda came inside. Sokka pulled his headphones off and put them around his neck as his dad hung up his coat.

“Hey there.” He said with a smile and turned to drain the pasta. “Perfect timing, dinner is ready. Aang and Toph are here.” He said and Hakoda came into the kitchen.

“Ah, thank you, Sokka.” He said and smiled, giving him a hug to say hello. Sokka hugged back, squeezing him tightly for a moment. Hakoda patted his back and they pulled away. Sokka looked up at him and his heart dropped. His dad had obviously been crying. His eyes were red and he looked so… tired. Sokka frowned up at him.

“Hey… are you okay?” He asked softly and Hakoda opened his mouth to speak, but paused. He sighed and looked down at the floor. Sokka hated seeing him like this. His father was the strongest person he knew, but losing mom seemed to have broken him.

“Today was just a… rough day.” He said and took a slightly shaky breath. Sokka reached out to hug him again and Hakoda wrapped his arms weakly around his son. They just stood in the kitchen, embracing each other gently for a few moments.

They were making the most of their situation, trying to adjust to this new life, trying to stay strong for Katara, trying as hard as they could to continue their lives, but it was just so hard without Kya. She was such a strong person, and she’d done so much for them. She was their rock. It wasn’t like they weren’t prepared for her passing… her health had been declining for many months, and her fighting spirit had waned towards the end. Sokka was almost relieved when she finally passed, because it meant that she wasn’t suffering anymore.

“Dad, if… if you need to take some time… I saw that the grocery store on the corner is hiring. I could apply and work part time to help out, so you don’t have to-”

“Sokka, no. You do so much around here, you don’t need to do that.” Hakoda said, leaning back to look at him, eyes full of sadness. He didn’t want Sokka to feel like he wasn’t doing enough, because he was already doing so much more than what was expected of him. “You’ve been so helpful, and I appreciate everything, but I’ll be okay. Just a few more weeks, and we’ll have enough in savings to have a cushion just in case anything comes up, and then I won’t have to work as much.” He assured and Sokka sighed. He just didn’t want to see his dad suffer like this.

“It’s no big deal, a few hours a day won’t be too much for me.” He said and Hakoda shook his head.

“No, absolutely not. I know that you’re just trying to help, but I promise, it’s okay. Sokka, you’re a teenager. You deserve to enjoy the rest of your high school days.” He said and smiled softly at him. “You have a couple of good friends, right? Why don’t you hang out with them after school sometime? They’re always welcome here, of course, and Katara is old enough to be home alone if you want to go to one of their houses” He said.

“But… who’ll be here to make dinner?” Sokka asked and Hakoda ruffled his hair.

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out, son. Seriously, I’ll take care of dinner for the rest of the week, don’t you worry about that. Make some plans with your friends, go be a teenager, go have fun. Don’t do anything illegal, of course, but you should be out exploring this new place with your peers!” He said and Sokka looked at the floor. His dad was right… he hadn’t hung out with his friends outside of school at all since moving here, even though it had been suggested several times. He just didn’t want to neglect any of his self-assigned chores.

“Yeah, i guess you’re right.” He said and shuffled his feet a little. “Okay, I’ll see if I can make some plans for this week. Thanks.” He said and Hakoda patted his shoulder.

“I’m really proud of you, Sokka. You’ve taken on so much, and I appreciate the help a lot. But don’t burn  _ yourself _ out trying to keep  _ me _ from getting burnt out.” He said and glanced over at the stove. “Now, let’s eat, I’m starving.” He said and grabbed bowls. Sokka went to fetch the kids from Katara’s room and they all came out to eat.

After dinner, Hakoda asked Katara to do the dishes and Sokka went to his room to try and finish his homework. He hadn’t realized how tired he was until he settled into his bed with all his cozy blankets and pillows. He took a few moments to just sit back and relax. The tiny cabin that their family used to live in didn’t allow for much decoration, but he’d collected a few things that he hung up in his new room. His boomerang, club, and knife were displayed on the wall, along with the traditional headdress he’d worn at his sixteenth birthday celebration. He’d gotten a few things once they moved, as well. The blank white walls of his bedroom made him feel claustrophobic somehow, so he was slowly working on filling them. He had a few professional bending team posters up, though he didn’t follow the sport very closely. He’d pinned up some pictures above his desk, having printed out a bunch that he’d taken back home. Silly pictures that had just been sitting on his old camera; a group photo of the whole village, him and Katara posing in front of an iceberg with a pile of fish, a photo of their mom next to the fire… he missed the South Pole a lot, but he was also kinda glad to be here.

He looked to another wall and smiled, seeing the decorative fans that Suki had given him. They were an old pair of hers, not really designed for combat, but still good for practice, and she said that the pattern on them was inspired by Water Tribe designs, so she thought he should have them. He also had a ratty poster that Zuko had given him, one of a band that they both liked. Zuko said he had a lot of posters and needed to make room for new ones, and he remembered Sokka saying that he needed more things for his walls, so he passed the aging poster along. The edges were a bit torn and it was badly creased, but Sokka loved it. It matched the aesthetic of the band, and it was a gift from Zuko. That made it extra special.

His gaze drifted upwards and he stared at the ceiling, taking in the large piece of fabric hung above his bed. Three blocks of color, a dark blue and fuschia pink on either side, with a thinner stripe of purple in the middle. Despite the remote-ness of their little South Pole village, the Water Tribe had been connected to the rest of the world since Sokka was little. They got regular supply shipments of things that were hard to come by in their land of ice, including wood and metal to build permanent houses for the Summer months. A huge cable was installed across the ocean floor, bringing reliable electricity and, eventually, internet access. Sokka was gifted a laptop for his birthday one year, and he was able to start interacting with people from all over the world.

It hadn’t taken him long to realize that he was attracted to more than just women. He saw pictures and talked to people his age from all different walks of life, and he developed his very first crush on a boy. He was from Omashu, and he was just a year older than Sokka. They had met in a forum talking about a band they both liked. (That was another benefit of internet access: music. Sokka loved listening to new music, and he quickly became a fan of many popular bands.) He and his first ever crush used to talk nearly every day, but Sokka never got up the courage to say anything even mildly flirtatious. He was still confused about his feelings, and he didn’t really know what it meant yet to be attracted to anyone other than girls.

Eventually, just a year before they moved to Ba Sing Se, he’d run across a page with a bunch of pictures of colorful flags, each with a title and description beside them. He read through them intently and, upon reading the definition of “bisexual”, everything clicked. He had only ever heard of being gay or straight before that, never even considering that it was okay to be attracted to all kinds of people. After years of confusion about his interest in men and women both, he finally understood that he was allowed to be attracted to anyone, no matter their gender.

However, he didn’t understand it enough to say anything yet. It wasn’t like he could act on those feelings, anyways. There were no people his age in their village, and once his mom fell ill, all his focus was on that. He fell out of touch with many of his long-distance friends, including the boy from Omashu.

But then, on his very first day at school in Ba Sing Se, when Suki told him that she didn’t date boys, he felt this bubble in his chest grow. It was like his sexuality was a secret that he didn’t even realize he was holding in, and hearing another person talk about their own attraction had caused it to burst. He told her he was bi, the first person besides himself to ever know that.

Once he “came out” to one person, he felt a lot more ready to tell the important people in his life. He wasn’t ashamed or scared, he just hadn’t felt the need to tell anyone before now. But just a few days after they moved, he’d asked his dad to sit with him for a minute while Katara was in the shower.

“Are you in trouble at school or something?” Hakoda asked with a frown. They were still in the process of unpacking, but he would box everything back up and they would move to another city if they needed to.

“No, no, not at all!” Sokka said, waving his arms a bit. “No, nothing like that. It’s nothing bad, I just… wanted to tell you something. I uh.. I’ve been sitting on this for a while. It’s not like I meant to keep this a big secret or anything, but there’s just never really been a time where it mattered, but now that we’re here and everything is different, and I’m around people my own age and I’m learning more about like… people and the world and stuff…” He said and cleared his throat, realizing that he was rambling. He took a slow breath and looked at his dad. “I’m bisexual.” He said and explained when he saw a brief look of confusion on Hakoda’s face. “I’m not exclusively attracted to women. I like boys, too. Well, anyone, really. I uh… I’m not dating anyone or anything, just… thought you should know.” He said and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. After a few moments of tense silence, Hakoda spoke.

“Okay, that makes sense.” He said calmly and smiled at Sokka. “I’m glad you told me. I love you, son, no matter what. I’m glad that you’re… discovering new things about yourself.” He said and Sokka chuckled a little, his shoulders relaxing as he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Yeah, uh… I’ve sorta known for a few years now? But I only learned the name for it a year ago… it was just never really relevant, but I figured I should tell you now just in case I like… somehow get a boyfriend, cuz I wouldn’t want you to think I’m trying to keep things secret from you.” He said and Hakoda nodded.

“I understand. I appreciate it, this might save a lot of confusion.” He said and shifted a little. “And uh… if you end up having a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, or whatever, I’ll always be happy to meet them. And they’ll be welcome here no matter what.” He said and Sokka smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, cool. Thank you.” He said and Hakoda leaned over to hug him. Sokka would be forever grateful for having a dad who loved him so unconditionally, who supported him and just wanted what was best for him. He knew that his dad just wanted to see him happy. Sokka also told Katara that night and, of course, she just said that she loved him and she was happy that he could be himself.

A week later, a package arrived in the mail and Hakoda knocked on Sokka’s bedroom door, coming in with a folded up piece of fabric.

“I uh… did a little bit of research last week, I just wanted to learn a little bit more about what it means to be bisexual, and, I saw that a lot of,” he paused, thinking for a moment. “LG...B...T people? Yeah, well, they have these flags to represent their identities, and a lot of them will display the flag so I… ordered this for you.” He said and passed it over. Sokka unfolded the flag and smiled, recognizing the pink, purple, and blue pattern. His dad had gotten him a bisexual pride flag. He looked up with a wide smile, putting the flag aside so he could hug him tightly.

“Thank you, I love it.” He said, holding him tightly. Yeah, he felt pretty damn lucky to have such an awesome dad.

He hung the flag above his bed and couldn’t help but smile when he looked at it. He was learning more every day about the amazing and diverse community that he was a part of, and he wasn’t confused about his attraction to a wide variety of different people anymore.

Sokka was pulled out of his thoughts by his phone vibrating and he grabbed it, seeing a text from Zuko. He smiled, opening it up to read it.

_ Finally finished my homework. I would thank you for your patience, but you don’t have any. -Z _

Sokka chuckled and rolled onto his stomach as he tapped away on his phone.

_ Patience is not a virtue I possess. But I’m glad you’re done! I’m free the rest of this week if you want to figure out a time to hang out? Your place or mine is fine. -S _

_ How about tomorrow? You can come over here and we can listen to records. I have a couple I think you’ll really like. -Z _

_ Sounds like a plan! -S _

_ Great. I’m looking forward to it :) -Z _

_ So am I :D -S _

Sokka sat up to get started on more of his homework, grinning wide every time he read a new text from Zuko. They chatted for the rest of the night, but Sokka’s eyes were getting really heavy. He told Zuko he was going to bed and the other boy said goodnight, and Sokka started to type a reply, but he just couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore and he drifted off, unsent text still on his phone screen. 

_ Goodnight, beautiful. -S _


End file.
